Camila Coelho on her On and Off Battle with Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder in which the brain works abnormally causing seizure of periods of unusual behaviour, sensations and sometimes loss of awareness. Anyone can develop epilepsy; it may happen due to genetic disorder or a brain injury such as stroke or trauma. Epilepsy is known to be the fourth most common neurological order found in people of all ages.
 

Camila Coelho, beauty and design influencer at the age of 31 came out about her ongoing battle with epilepsy. She was first diagnosed with epilepsy at an early age of nine and has been on the medication for more than twenty years. In an interview, she shared one of her incidents that she was playing with her friend and suddenly her hands started closing on their own and she fainted right after, that was the first time she had a seizure. Camila was put on serious medications and every night she had to take the medicines to avoid any type of seizure. 

One day after her parents divorced, she was 14 years old and decided to stop taking the medicines which led to a seizure that happened in front of the whole school. She said that it was the most terrible day of her life and the incident was a wake-up call for Coelho as she had an emotional breakthrough in the hospital following the seizure. She learned the hard truth of staying off the medications was to go through a seizure anywhere, anytime.

Camila’s high school sweetheart, Icaro, both are together since the age of 17 and now they are thinking of starting a family which is very scary for them as during the pregnancy it is not recommended to take the medication which could cause a seizure risking the life of the baby and the mother. 

With the help of her husband, Icaro had her last seizure in 2011, she learned to prioritize her health and balance her work life simultaneously. Camila has so much to do between juggling fashion week trips, photo shoots and partnerships with the brands, in addition to holding design meetings for the Camila Coelho Collection brand and filming content for digital platforms but she said lack of sleep is a trigger to seizure so she turns down many professional arrangements. She concluded the news by saying she cannot affect her health because of her professional career. Camila doesn’t let epilepsy stop her from chasing her dreams and thinking of having a baby in her life.

Her main motive behind sharing her story wide open was to help people struggling with epilepsy. 

Over to You

Camila’s story surely inspires us to extreme levels and makes us learn not to quit but fight against all the odds. There is no doubt in saying that she has done amazing work in her life and her journey will inspire people to live and put the disease to shame. One should always be thankful for the beautiful life he/she has been blessed with just like Camila Coelho has been all her life.